Garnet for cleaning brass?

[6.5grendel]

I normally clean my brass in a vibratory tumbler using corn cob and walnut media, but I have an endless supply of garnet that is used in our water jet table. Has anyone ever tried garnet to clean brass? Didn't know if it would be too abrasive or maybe not do anything at all? Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I would be afraid of leaving abrasive particles in the brass that then get carried down the bore.

 

[Twicepop]

Isn't that used to cut steel and other metals instead of a torch of plasma cutter? It's the garnet that does the cutting of the metal under water pressure. Although it's not under pressure, if it cuts steel, what would it do to soft brass? My guess is that you'll end up with a tumbler full of garnet and shiny dust. Maybe not, but that's my guess. On the other hand you could be on to something, there's only one way to know for sure. Try it on some brass that's headed for the scrap heap first.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Id like to see you try it on some scrap brass. Im 99% sure its going to destroy the brass but im interested in your results

 

[6.5grendel]

Waltkrafft, I never thought about that. I don't think I want to take that chance. Definitely wouldn't be worth it. Twicepop, yes that's exactly what it is. I'll try some this coming week on some scrap brass for those that are curious. I'll try to get pics of before and after of cases and primer pockets.

 

[PRR1957]

Do not try even as an experiment. The garnet imbed into the plastic bowl of the vibratory polisher which will end up on the brass and into the gun. Stick to corn cob and walnut shell.

 

[GNERGY]

Put it in a small empty peanut butter jar with a handfull of brass cases in the vibrator.
Tarey

 

[Shinbone]

Way too abrasive.

For cleaning brass, you want "polishing," not "grinding."

 

[Fotheringill]

With a small bit of internet research, I now know what a water jet table is. Thank you.

 

[Rsadams]

The idea of using Corncob or Walnut media and a non ammonia based products is not to remove brass , it's slow but effective... Using something that can cut steel would be horrible for brass... It also seems that microscopic bits would embed in the brass and over time hone your chamber larger... We all know what carbon can do to re-sizing dies over time and the Garnet seems like it would do the same but faster...

 

[Pawnee Bill]

Waaay too harsh for brass!

 

[Straightshooter1]

Have 60+ years experience of using tumblers for polishing rocks, it seems to me using garnets on brass isn't much different than using carbide grit on rocks. And take note on how worn the rocks get by the rounded edges you see on those rocks. I suspect there'd be a lot of wear similar to what happens with rocks. However, there's only one way to know and that'd be to run a test. On could take some old worthless beat up brass and run them to see just how they turn out. And in doing so, I would inspect and take notes an various time intervals to track what's going on with the process.

 

[fivering1]

I normally clean my brass in a vibratory tumbler using corn cob and walnut media, but I have an endless supply of garnet that is used in our water jet table. Has anyone ever tried garnet to clean brass? Didn't know if it would be too abrasive or maybe not do anything at all? Any insight would be appreciated.

If you have something against the life of your rifle barrel, go for it!

 

[ToddKS]

I believe that you would end up with a matte finish best case rather than a polish.

I had the opportunity a couple years back to talk to a guy who had been in the media/abrasives business for 25+ years. I was specifically looking for a less disposable polishing option due to the amount of corn cobb I consume (1000-1200lbs a year). I was looking at ceramic options and the like. He indicated that due to the softness of brass that walnut and corn were really the best options. He indicated that the other types of products were in general too aggressive.

 

[Uncle Ed]

Using garnet on brass cartridge cases reminds me of a old joke.

What is the definition of a party pooper.........Someone who puts sand in the Vaseline.

 

[Prose]

RBCS and Hornady sometimes include pumice in their media when you buy it. I've added just a tiny bit of pumice to "refresh" old media and it worked pretty well. I did have to wash it afterward though.

Brass polish also carries abrasives, so it's not like this is a foreign concept... your particulate may just not work well or it could work awesome. Give it a try on a small batch.

 

[nicholst55]

My gunsmith uses garnet to abrasive blast guns that he's going to blue. No way I'd use it to tumble brass!

 

[AJC]

The brass is not exposed to the 10 or 20k psi that the table generates. The sharp nature of the media I agree would leave an unpolished or matte finish. It could be no worse than a ss pin driven into the barrel but ruined is ruined. A test to satisfy curiosity on junk brass would be intriguing but the risk vs rewards may be extreme even with free media. Now if you sell it to the neck tension crowd they will test it for you

 

[6.5grendel]

I'll try some this weekend for those that are curious. I wont be loading them though. The garnet is very fine and I could see it easily getting embedded in the brass and eating up a barrel. I'll be putting the garnet and brass in a small container and then placing the container into the tumbler so it doesn't get embedded in the tumblers bowl. Thank you everyone for the advice. You probably saved me a lot of headaches from just trying it without asking. I didn't think about a lot of the good points that were brought up.